Matisyahu is returning to Israel. The Hasidic musician from New York is scheduled to perform with his group Dub Trio on June 23 at Safra Square in Jerusalem, and is also expected to perform with Israeli rap group Hadag Nahash. Matisyahu, who decided to embrace Orthodox Judaism 10 years ago, is a musical sensation in the United States. His ability to blend reggae, hip-hop and Jewish music has garnered him widespread popularity. His 2009 studio album, Light," reached the number 19 spot on the Billboard 200 top albums chart. Matisyahu has also won a following in Israel, and his previous performances in Israel were overwhelming successes. The Orthodox rapper's gig will kick off a series of summer events called The Front Stage" organized by the Jerusalem municipality. Also scheduled to appear this summer is reggae artist Ziggy Marley, son of the late icon Bob Marley. Ziggy Marley is scheduled to perform July 21 at Sacher Park in Jerusalem in a show that willinclude performances by Karolina, Yuval Banai, Alma Zohar, Yael Dekelbaum and Mookie. Jerusalem is hosting parties and performances by other Israeli musicians as well, including Infected Mushroom, Berry Sakharof, Monica Sex, Efrat Gosh, Mercedes Band and Tomer Yosef.
